Multiple-head stapler-machine.



E. CRAIG. MULTIPLE HEAD STAPLER MACHINE. APPLICATION nuzn AUG. 5. 1910.

Patented July 25, 1916.

5 SHEETS-SHEET I.

IIIIII HIIIIIIII mmili' E. CRAIG; MULTIPLE HEAD STAPLER MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 5, 1910. 1 1 92,392. Patented July 25, 1916.

5 SHEET$-SHEET 2 I MINI" NH E. CRAIG. MULTIPLE HEAD STAPLER MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.5, I910.

Patented July 25, 1916.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

E. CRAIG.

MULTIPLE HEAD STAPLER MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-5| I910.

Elgar/Zak Patented July 25, 1916.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4 E. CRAIG.

MULTIPLE HEAD STAPLER MACHINE.

APPUCATION FILED AUG.I1. I9IO.

Patvnted July 3, 1916.

5 SHEETS--SHEET 5- EDWARD CRAIG, OF ST. JOSEPH, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOB, TO SABANAC MACHINE 00., OF

ST. JOSEPH, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

MUL'FIPLE-HEAD sTAELEB-MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known. that I, EDWARD CRAIG, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of St. Joseph, Berrien county, Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Multiple-Head Stapler-Machines, of which the following is a.

pling heads may be arranged close together in a row, whereby a row ofstaple's may be driven to hold the box or carton together, by one simultaneous operation of all the stapling heads, the latter being accessible from threesides-of the machine, thus permitting the box or carton to be inserted readily under the stapling heads, the said row of stapling'heads-being provided with a standard or support only at one end thereof, thus leaving the other end of the said row unsupported.

Another objectis to provide a stapling machine in which a plurality of stapling heads are arranged in a row above a table, and in which the anvil upon which the sta ples are clenched consists of a long swinging bar which extends below the row of stapling heads, and which is adapted to enter the box or carton while the latter is in a flattened or collapsed condition, thus affording a long support upon which the staples are clenched, the length of said bar being sufiicient to enable it to receive and clench all the staples which, when driven, extend in a row longitudinally of the upper surface of said bar, as will hereinafter more fully appear.

Another object is to provide an improved construct-ion whereby a large number of sta- *j may be disposed in a row and arranged n hurther, each stapler bein .1 (urged n n position that the staples are all Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 25, 1916;

. Application filed August 5, 1910. Serial No. 575,642.

driven obliquely to a line extending parallel with the Said row, notwithstanding that the cams by which the staplers are actuated are all. mounted upon a shaft which extends above the row of staplers, as will hereinafter more fully appear.

It is also an object, of course, to provide certain details and combinations and features of improvement tendingto increase the general efficiency of a machine of this particular character. 1

To the foregoing and other useful ends, my invention-consists in the matters hereinafter .set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a stapling machine or box-making machine embodying the principles of my invention; Fig. 2 is a. front eleva' tion of the machine shown'in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a plan of the machine shown in Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 4 is a perspective of the box or carton upon which the said machine is adapted to operate by inserting a row of star ples along one corner thereof tosecure the parts together; Fig. 5E-is' an enlargedsection on line 55 in.Fig. 3'-; Fl 6 is an enlarged cross-section of the man rel or clench bar which is adaptedto be inserted in the box or carton, as shown in Fig. 5, and which serves as an anvil for clenching the stapies; Fig. 7 is a horizontal section on line 7-7 in Fig. 5; Fig. 8 s an enlarged detail view of the ratchet mechanism for operating the feed shaft; Fig. 9 is an enlarged verti'cal section through the forming and driving elements of one of the staplers, said section being taken on line 9-9 in Fig. 7; Fig. 10 is an enlarged detail section on line 1010 in Fig. 7; and Fig. 11 is a horizon tal section on line 11-11 in Fig. 10.

As thus illustrated, iny invention comprises the base A, which is cast integral with the upright post or standard B. A table C has one end thereofsupported upon the standard B, and is adapted to slide up and down upon the latter, being controlled by a vertically disposed hand screw 0, which latter serves also as a post or support for re ceiving the pressure of the work upon the table. A wide bar D has one end thereof rigidly secured to the top of the post or standard B, and is arranged with one edge upward and the other edge downward, whereby it is adapted tosupport a cons derable weight, the strain being crosswise thereof. At the top of the post 33 there is bearing 6, and a similar bearing Z) is sup ported on the outer end of the bar I), the two bearings being held in aline-ment. A driving shaft E is supported in said heatings and provided with the circular eccentric cams e, which cams are disposed as close together as possible but with sufiicicut specs between them to accommodate the connecting members or tic bars a by which the said shaft is tied to the bar I Iii-other Words, the upper end of each; bar 6' is in the. nature of a. hosting for the shaft, so that the latter cannot sa or spring between its ends. More ver, it will be seen that this method of tying the shaft and bar D serves to make a very strong and rigid structure, and one which will. stand considerable strain without eating being sprung or broken, notwithstanding that it is only supported at one end,that

is to say, at the end Where the. shaft and the bar D are supported by the. post B, their outer ends being entirely unsupported. Tho stapler heads F are arranged in a row along the lower edge of thcf'bar D, and are rigid with the bars 6, with the exception, of course, of the operative parts therol, such as the usual staple .fornier, driver and loop bar,,whicl1 are shown in Fig. 9, and which, being so common and well lrnown, do not require any dfitiillfl description. In other Words, the said stapler heads may be of any suitable known or approved construction, so for as the devices for forming and driving the staples are concerned. It is essential, however, in order to acconiplisn the desired results, that the said stapling heads cc-disposed obliquely to the bar D, as shown more clearly in Fig. 7, whereby the staplcs are driven in a. row, but each staple ext suds crosswise and obliquely to the line of said row (see Fig. 4). Furthermore, each staple driver 6 is secured to a vertically reciprour f that constitutes a part of the; driver and slides up and down in the (than nel E of the adjacent bar e, as shown more clearly in Fig. 5. The upper end of this bar fhas a roller f that engages in the circular track or way of the earn 6, Where by the staple driver is rcciprocated up anddown to drive the staples. The staple former F.is, moreover, disposed inside of the staple driver-thatis tosa upon the inner flat surface thereof, and 1S actuated by a spring connection ,2 which connccts it with thebir ,1, which spring connection is disposed at the outer vertical edges of the said staple driver and staple former, as shown 'more clearly in Fig. 5; A-latch mechanism 7', indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 5, of any suitable or desired character, is employed for automatically locking and unlocking the staple former, in the usul and Well under stood manner, whereby the said staple former moves downward to form the staple upon the lower end of the loop bar 7", and is.

then automatically unlocked as soon .as it strikes the upper surface of the work, thus permitting the staple driver to then move downward alone to drive the staple. The staple driver has a can] 7 that operates the upper end of the loop bar 7' whereby the latter is held in position to form the staple, and then backs away from the path of the driver to permit the latter to drive the. sta ple. In each case the bar is held in place by a. removable plate 7, w ich latter is suitably secured to one side edge of the bar 6.

It will be seen that the stapler heads F are not disposed exactly below the bar D, but a little to one side thereof, and are removnbly secured in place upon the same by the clamping nlates f. The cams e and the bars e and f stand squarely faccto face and are disposed at right angles to the shaft E and to the bar 1). Lower down, however, the staple drivers and formers are iven a uniform twist or turn, which makes t em all stnnd' obliquely to the line along which the staples arc driven. With this arrangement, the stapling heads can be brought very close together, and each stapling head or mechamsm is operated by a powerfula'ctuating or driving device. The combined thrust of all the stapler heads is, of course, considerable, and it is for this reason that the strong incl rigid construction formed by the shaft E and the banal) and the connecting bars 6' is necessary and desirable. lVith this construction, thetbrust of the staplers vvill not cause any springing or yielding action, even at the outer end of the row of staplers, at least stir cordanco with the req iircnints of any par" ticular case. Referring to Fig. 3, it will be seen that tbc said feed mechanisms, which :ire adapt/ed to feed the wire to the staplers,

not enough to amount to anything, and each and which a-rethe some in number as the stapling heads,.arc all operated-by acornmon shaft H, which 'extendsthrough the brackets g, the latter serving. .as bearings for the shaft. The said feed shaft is actuated by a ratchet mechanism 1, such as the one -shown in Fig. 8, which mechanism is operrated by a rod i having its upper end connected with a. cam or eccentric device ti on.

the shaft E. In this way the feed mechanisms are all operated at the sometime, and the wire is fed simultaneously to fercnt stz pling heads, the Wire for this purpose luring carried on rrels J WliiKlk are mounted on long: arms or hrnrlwts semi-ed to the (dumping pl:1i(-:-: ii

Itv will he nndvrsiood in flu" :dizii i) in oprrotvd by u bolt pullrv a or v an}; o'iluzr nuitnhlu mums.

'llw long (lull-hing lmr or nmndrvl K liar: it: inner and pivotrd at 7.; and in diuposod l(li,iii'\i ifio of in, row of simpler lwzulhrlmv iili mow. 1m olrtm'n mow Hourly in Pig. L Th lmr is :idzipivd to =-wing up and down a? it oid i' Hid. nod i :idupiwi in n in svri'rd in til roliupsnd or flnitonvd box or uu-ton n nix-"Mn in Figs 5, Said liar is of :1 lvnglli in hr on: :wmpling lliiliifi. zin' ior ihis purpmo hm its upprr .wnrfm-o lofl ii and providod with :2 wrin pim-o of nu? otlirr snitnhlr umioi' sil 1i", proiiiioi ii 1 g'iwivm tine? ro m-i' r iii? poinh oi in i A ihnrilio said hm" h. in equ pped v m for n roivi wins; for

ihv poini: oi too rlenrlaing the some in on}; lii' iil nirod manner, rill or roodii m The? hair K ii; hold norn'uiiiy r:ii-i,-d. on in Fig, l, a slight dinimior :iliovr tho inill? (T. by ho spring if whii-ii ronnorts its innrr 0nd with the posit 8, whereby one side wall of the hm; or mirror: run in" rendiiv inf m'iiud under the said hair or nmndrul C and iiio entire box or carton, in a roiisipsed rooc iiiimu than movrd along: said hm or n'uindwl nniil the proper 'siiion in r' u-hr-il for uriiplingr iiirn tho ii ipioei urn drlrn tho are .ill innerted along om iongzitudizn uornnr oi llio box or carton. ai lr i, and ilk is the. only Htupiing ilk to his ten the box together, stroke of the multiple :etzml no tho rntiro rim of ship: and 33hr oox is than hilnn oli fr uu r bur. and another one placed i'iw;

(page pieces 1 and M are spoon:

at the roar il'irrool", as eliowu in Fig, whorehy the box or rariion win iii) mmozwd'rl positioned on HEP, table to rumivo tho ahiplos. The table and tho nnindr-vl or ('ionrli liar K ran ho moved up and down in; thr hand HriQW (3, thus enabling For nprrnior to zuijlwi' the machine for oiiirroni kindaof vim-ii,

From the foregoing, it will he soon that T provide a machine in \vhii-li number of staples are dri van in a row vxirnding along the top of a bar which is inserted in the hox or carton, and Whirh roofs upon the material of the box or carton during the driving; of the staples, whr-reliy all of the stuplos are driven by one operation of the machine. In this way thr machine works very fast and a. largo number of boxes or cartons (an be staplrd in n rompnratively short period of time A ilw fastener driv ing units or staplers are all rrmvdod tightly together on the bar I), it follows that the StiiPll'F Y arr drivvo cl n mgvthor, thereby forming: av praviimlly roniinnons iine of wire gi'iu'hing.

do not limit n'iysi-lf' in tho rxact ron- Siji'lhtion shown and di- -;vrihod.

What I rlniu: as my invention is:

1. A nui hino f r driving fustrnrrs. (50H!- prising a inn: :s wrir of ,Eurnvr driving units strung on said our, on o wrating shaft extending: through amid unit. means for hoiding asuid lmr und shui'i in pooition, menus for rotating s-ii-Li sliufh. and :1 support for the \Yfil'lfi (.fli'll unit inrluding :1 member having :1 hrnring for (mid hni't, and moans for dvini-lmlilv scruriug said members on nzzid lmr. said units: oving arranged to drive iii: fnslourrs; obliquely .rrons tho line of insrriion. (:Hi. uni? having: :1 (rs-no on said shaft. and mr-nns for fending wire to said unit. in dirrriionn oliliqnu to aid shaft.

A nunhino for driving fasteners, compr: ng: m our. 3, series of fastener driving unit; diving: on said bar. {in operating Shaft (Xi'xllliilig through Enid, units, means for holding said bar and shaft in position, nioiinn for rolzding said shaft, and a support for i'hr work ouch unit inrlnding a member having :1 hearing for mid sha Ft, and means for (Echo/h l) scouring said mombers 0n ouvh bar: mid llivmlfiii having a channel, a driwr gliding: in said channel, a cam on sir-id shaft" and norms on said driver to enggznz mid mun amid units being arranged in drii'o Hrsfmoi-nreru obliquely across the inn: of zurtion, ozirli unit having a cam on 5; d :hui'i, and [nouns for f oiling Wire to mid uniis in directions blique to said shaft.

A ioisrliino for driving fastrnvrs, oom- 31 lmr, u nrrios of fnaftrnor driving oni strung on mid ifill :in oprrating shaft unending?through amid units, moans forhold- V :11 mid shzri'i' in position, means for mid shaft. .oihi u support for the driuvl i'v F t bllllg said inemhrro on said lion Sni'l unit's iw-ing nrmngrd in drive the XEHBIIP'LPEK oliii uriy arrow the line of insertion. moi; nnii inning i. (i-inn on said shaft, and 11193115; for i'm ding wire to said nnitn in diroriions ohiiqurto said Slmi't, said means for fPiiiillQ wire comprising foed-shafi extending: parallel with said operating shaft, means for rotating said operating shaft, and nwnns actuated by said operating shaft to inlormittently rotate said feed-Shaft.

l. A nmrhin? for driving fasteners, comprising; a hm, a scrios of fastener driving units htrung on said bar. on operating shaft extruding through said units, means for holding said imr and shaft in position means for rietavhabzy :r T3315: :3 members on said bar sash mmn'rm' ha ing; a channei, a driver siiding in 522i: ifhnHM, x, cam on said shaft, and means m; sai 'l driver to engalge said can; mu? :mis Ming ar ranged to drive the fgsf n across the line of inscrtiusx, a -3*; uni: ha a a cam on said shaft, and mr nss fur 1% wire to said units I: di'recmm nblhgue t4: said shaft, said means for feeiug win! com prising a fwd-shaft extending paraikr! with F1 3) W A. RD CRAIG.

W rr'wans fnr rotating fix and memw ai-tlmtvd by .03 in mu mmt mniiy 

